San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-06
DO NNIE doom
A LOVE STORY.
CHAPTER I.

CHATTER i.
"Jimes are hard.'' said Farmer
Vaughan to his wife; ''there is no mis-
take about it. 1t is five years since we
have had anything like good harvest;
in fact, Catherine, | may as well tellyou
the TRUTH am losing money instead of
making it,
II was afraid it must be So" said his
wife, with sigh.
1T is so, indeed. This is June.
Heaven knows how | have been longing
for fine weather, praying and hoping
against hope. If it comes now 1t Will
be toe iate; the great cOrn-felds on the
hill are ruined already"
Il cannot tell what has come to the
weather." said the farmers wife, SOL
emily. "When | was girl we had fine,
lOAg. dry summers; the hay was made,
the barley moved, the corn gathered;
now there seems to be no warmth in the
sun, nothing grows, nothing ripens. |
wonder if it be true that the seasons are
changing; one thing is quite clear to me
the summers | remember in my girl
hood are not tiic summers of this pres
ent time at ALL"
The farmer shook his head despond-
emily, The very brooks had become
rivers: some of his finest clover mead
ONo Ntlt Mdb0l, lhC tOlil W 10 dll
widowed that grew on the hill where
the sun was warmest; the barley would
not ripen; the long fields of oats were
like fields filled with dirty weeds.
Il do not know what to do" he con-
tinued. Il made two thousand pounds
the first five years | was here, | have
lost twice as much during the last five
years; in fact, Catherine. | have no
more to lose. There will be nothing
from the orchards this year."
Nothing" was the dreary answer;
land yet, James, no spring ever brought
fairer blossoms; the apple-trees were
magnificent, and do you remember the
blossom on the cherry-trees? The fruit
formed, and | thought we should have
the finest fruit in the country; then came
the bitter winds and the sharp frost
who ever heard of frost in Maryland
there was an end of all hope. We shall
not have enough apples to pay for the
trouble of picking them"
"We must do something" said the
farmer. Perhaps if we could tide over
this year, the next may be better; but
we must do something If we are to live
at ALL"
''What can we do?" asked his wife.
~ am quite willing to do anything in
the world which will make money.
What can we do, James?"
The farmers honest face grew more
troubled and more anxious.
Everything seems to be alike" he
sighed. "LaTch Hill Farm was famous
for its butter, cheese, and milk. Five
of our best cows have died this year. 1t
has been nothing during these five years
but one continual run of ill-luck. am
tired of it, wife" and the farmers head
foil haCnpnHanflu hiC hraaGt HE
wife dared not look at him; she felt so
sure that he had tears in his eyes. Sud-
denly her face frightened, and she look
ed up.
"There is just one thing l could do,
James, if you will let mep" she said.
Mrs. Caldecott was here the other day,
and she told me that she had taken in a
lodger,-a gentleman from London, and
that he paid them three guineas week
for two rooms; she said it had paid their
rent. If her rooms are worth three
guineas, mine are worth more, and the
2 simple, kindly woman looked proudly
conscious of her superior rooms.
"You see," she continued, ''our house
has peculiar advantages. We are only
few miles south of London, and yet
We are in the midst of the most beauti-
tut scenery and of the most bracing air.
feel quite sure that if we advertise as
the Caldecott's did, we shall get even a
better ledger. Shall try, James2' ''"
The farmer looked up'a little more
hopefully. 80 - ~
'If you think it will be of any use to
rs, Catherine" he replied; TRY it by all
MEANS" II"
Ruth will draw-up the advertise
ments for me.r continued the farmers
wife; "she will know how to word them
best.n
Her husband turned to her in sudden
Rlarm,
mind Catherine. not one word to
the child that we are short of money. !
would not let her know for the whole
world that we had any money troubles;
nothing saddens girl so much"
u shall not tell her. James, she is
only just turned eighteen, and that is
too soon for troubles"
Far too soon sighed the farmer,
do You know, Catherine" he cOntinu-
ed, Il have fancied that Laurence Ram
ton comes here oftener than he need
Laurence Raintonl" repeated his
wife, with an air Of surprise; "Oftener
than he need do. Why, JamesY
A slight. sad smiln pamn To the farm